Main navigation

How to Fix 12 Common Google Pixel Problems

The new Google phones are here, and while it brings a lot to the table, it still issues. Here we will be going over common Google Pixel problems and how to fix them. Most of these problems are easily fixed once you apply basic troubleshooting skills, but not all of these issues are fixable with a soft reset, or by going into airplane mode.

These problems vary in intensity, and even from user to user, but each one has a solution. For every problem I list, I’ll tell you multiple ways to fix it, and how to prevent some of these problems in the first place. The easiest way to fix any problem is to have it not come up in the first place, but the second easiest way is to follow this guide below.

1. My Google Pixel is Crashing or Restarting Randomly

Unfortunately, sometimes the Pixel will shut off, freeze, or restart out of nowhere, and there’s seemingly nothing you can do about it. The crashing is caused by either overheating, too much stress, or something important crashing. You can’t prevent this completely, but you can reduce the chances of it happening.

How to Prevent It:

There are two major ways to help prevent this from happening. First, avoid running too many intensive applications at once.

Running a few games in the background while you download as many updates as you can over Wi-Fi is a great way to push your phone to a point where it breaks down. If you notice your phone is starting to get hot, give it a few minutes in standby to let it cool down; or turn it off altogether until it’s cold to the touch.

Second, make sure your Google Pixel is always up to date. While some common problems are caused by updates, many of them are fixed by an update instead. As long as your phone is completely up to date, you can start looking elsewhere for the source of the problem.

How to Fix It:

Preventing the problem from happening in the future is all well and good, but if your phone is crashing now, you need an immediate fix. There isn’t any specific fix for the crashing issue, but if you follow our basic troubleshooting steps, the crashes will be a thing of the past.

How did this work for you?

2. My Google Pixel Won’t Charge

A phone not being able to charge is effectively a death sentence. This is usually an internal problem, either in the software or the hardware side. In rarer cases, something stuck inside of your charging port, or the cable itself stops you from charging. Either way, this is fixable, and preventable.

How to Prevent It:

Unfortunately, the only real way to help prevent this issue is to avoid actively putting your phone under heavy strain while charging.

If you’re currently experiencing this issue, there are a few ways to fix it.

How to Fix It:

If you’ve run into a charging problem, give each of these troubleshooting steps a try:

Power down your phone, and unplug it, then check to see if anything is obstructing your power port.

If you’re charging from an outlet, use a different outlet.

If you have a different cable available, use that.

Power your phone down completely before charging.

Past these checks, if your phone doesn’t start charging correctly, you’re left with no choice but to either consult with the store you purchased your phone from or contacting Google Pixel support directly.

How did this work for you?

3. My Google Pixel’s Battery Life is Poor

You’d expect a phone that released this late in 2016 to have a great battery, right? You aren’t wrong for expecting that, but the results won’t match your expectations, at least not if you’re having this specific issue. This problem doesn’t have a fix, so much as it has multiple ways to prevent it from happening in the first place.

How to Prevent It:

Much like the common Pixel problem above, avoid using your phone heavily while it’s charging.

Here are a few different things you can try to help increase battery life:

Switch over to one of your phone’s battery saver modes.

While this doesn’t fix the root of the problem, buying and using an additional power bank can help your phone last through the day.

Throughout the day, make sure your phone’s brightness is turned down.

If after following preventive steps, and doing everything you can to improve battery life, your battery doesn’t improve; you need to replace the battery. Consult your warranty, if applicable, and get the battery replaced.

How did this work for you?

4. My Google Pixel Fingerprint Scanner Stopped Working

Whether your fingerprint scanner was working just fine before, or never worked in the first place, it’s still possible to fix it. Unfortunately, some users won’t have any resort other than cashing in their warranty, so I hope you still have it handy.

How to Prevent It:

Other than treating your fingerprint scanner with the care and respect it deserves, there’s no way to prevent this problem from happening. The fingerprint scanner malfunctioning is occasionally a hardware issue, and the only way to fix that is to get someone qualified to take a crack at it.

How to Fix It:

If your fingerprint scanner has never worked before, then it sounds like you have a hardware issue. If you still have your warranty, look into using it to get the problem fixed, or the phone replaced. With faulty hardware, there isn’t much else you can do for a fix.

If your fingerprint scanner has worked before, there are a few methods you can try before turning to rely on your warranty:

Give your scanner a good wipe down with a soft and dry cloth. Be careful not to apply too much pressure.

Make sure your hands are free of excess oils with a quick wash.

If you have fingerprints saved, delete them, and then restart your phone.

How did this work for you?

5. There are Purple Lines Across the Screen While Using the Camera

The Google Pixel has a great camera, at least in most cases. Some users have started seeing purple lines scattered across the screen when looking through the camera app’s viewfinder. There are a few ways to prevent this, and a few solid methods to stop this from happening again.

How to Prevent It:

The only way to prevent this problem from happening is to avoid the stock camera app altogether.

This problem only occurs on the stock camera app and has only happened with recent Google Pixel updates.

How to Fix It:

If you’re too attached to your stock camera app, I have bad news for you. If you’re suffering from this problem, there’s no way to fix it other than making a switch to a new app. Until this problem is sorted out with a new Pixel update, users with the issue need to try something different.

How did this work for you?

6. My Google Pixel Refuses to Update

Not everyone wants to update their phone whenever the latest update rolls out, but if you do, and then can’t; you’ve got a major problem on your hands. Thankfully, the fixes for this aren’t expensive and are even easy to go through until you get the result you want.

How to Prevent It:

Besides making it your choice that you don’t want your Google Pixel to update, there’s no way to prevent an update from failing.

The only agency you have as a Pixel user over the update is refusing it, or ensuring the update doesn’t have enough space to download and install itself.

How to Fix It:

If an update fails once, wait a few days for the update to try again. In most cases, the Pixel will sort out this problem itself and then update normally.If this doesn’t happen, give these methods a shot:

Clear your phone of unneeded files and apps to ensure you have enough room for an update.

Power down your phone and let it lie idle for at least fifteen minutes.

Set your phone to Airplane mode for at least ten minutes and then try again.

How did this work for you?

7. My Google Pixel Microphone Won’t Work

Since one pretty important feature of a phone is being able to talk with other people, it’s a serious issue when your microphone doesn’t work. One solution is to plug in your own, but let’s talk about some fixes that don’t require any extra purchases on your end.

How to Prevent It:

There’s no way to prevent this problem currently, other than using your mic as I mentioned above. However, there are some ways to quickly fix the problem if you catch that it’s happening.

How to Fix It:

There are exactly two ways to deal with a Google Pixel that has a faulty microphone. First, if you’re using an app that depends on the microphone, quickly return to the home screen, and then back to the app. This will restore your microphone.

Second, if you’re in the middle of a phone call, quickly switch to speakerphone and then off of it again. This is similar to the first method but is even faster as a result. Unfortunately, these two methods are all you can do other than asking Google for help directly.

How did this work for you?

8. My Google Pixel Keeps Switching Between Mobile Data and Wi-Fi

There is a multitude of reasons why this is annoying and potentially costly. For a Google Pixel user with a limited data plan, this problem, and even the one below it, is a wallet drainer, and a headache. If this has been happening to you, don’t worry, there’s an easy fix.

How to Prevent It:

This problem happens because of Google’s new “Smart Network Switch” system, and from the looks of the problem, the system isn’t all that smart. The system is on by default, but turning it off prevents this from ever happening.

How to Fix It:

Knowing you need to turn off the new system is only half of the solution, the other half is knowing where the switch is.

In your Settings navigate to Wireless and then look for Smart network switch. If it’s currently set to ON, which it should be by default, shut it off and now you have one less Google Pixel problem.

How did this work for you?

9. My Google Pixel Won’t Connect to Wi-Fi

Just like the problem above, this is a nightmare for users with limited data, and users with no data plan at all! Not being able to connect to Wi-Fi poses some large problems, which is why there are already some fixes for the common issue.

How to Prevent It:

The only way to prevent this issue is to keep applying the solutions for it in the future. Thankfully, even though there is a myriad of possible reasons for the problem, it’s easy enough to fix.

How to Fix It:

One of the easiest fixes is to just turn off your Wi-Fi from your phone’s network settings, and then turn it on again. If that doesn’t work, quickly put your phone into Airplane mode, and then take it out of the mode just as fast.

How did this work for you?

10. My Google Pixel Keeps Overheating

This is a pretty common problem with Android phones in general, not just the Google Pixel. Overheating leads to damaged components, crashing, and restarts, so it’s vital to prevent it from happening whenever possible. By practicing safe Android habits, and examining your usage more closely, this is preventable in most cases.

However, if your usage of data and processing power is normal, there’s a different set of fixes you need to try.

How to Prevent It:

As I mentioned above, the best, and only, way to prevent this is to make sure you aren’t giving your phone more work than it can handle. The Google Pixel has a decent amount of power behind it, but every piece of technology has its limits.

How to Fix It:

There’s no way to cool down your phone instantly if it’s burning up, but you can slowly stop it from burning a hole through your palm. Most overheating issues, unless you’re using the Note 7, is caused by one, or several, problem apps.

At any point in time, tap your battery icon to see what app is taking up the highest percentage of your battery. Nine times out of ten, that’s the app that’s turning your Google Pixel into a pocket heater. Close the app, and give your phone a break to get it to cool down.

If this doesn’t fix the issue, I’m afraid you’ve got a hardware problem that Google, or the store you bought your phone from, needs to take a look at.

How did this work for you?

11. Spotify and Other Widgets Stop Working

This is a slightly smaller problem with the Pixel userbase, but a problem nonetheless. It usually happens in conjunction with headphones, at least in Spotify’s case. For other widgets, and even Spotify, the fix is the same.

How to Prevent It:

There’s no way to prevent this problem other than making sure your Google Pixel, and appropriate widgets are all up to date.

How to Fix It:

For Spotify specifically, this problem is caused by battery optimization. In some cases, this is additionally true for other widgets. From your Settings navigate to Battery and then locate Battery optimization.

From here, find the Spotify app and make sure it isn’t selected for optimization. If you don’t see the Spotify app, look to see if the menu is set to show All apps, instead of just specially selected ones.

How did this work for you?

12. My Pictures Keep Turning Out Blurry

Are you holding your hands steady, and making use of focus, but still have all of your pictures turn into a blurred mess? The problem doesn’t lie with you, it’s in the camera, and thankfully there’s a quick way to fix it.

How to Prevent It:

Much like the other camera problem on this list, it’s better to use a different camera app if you don’t want to deal with all of the issues the stock app has.

If you aren’t using the stock app, and still get blurry pictures, make sure the lens isn’t the problem first. Giving your camera lens a gentle brush with a soft cloth is an easy way to get rid of anything obscuring your lens.

If the problem persists, try out our basic troubleshooting steps. Past that, the only thing you can do is speak with Google directly, or the store where you bought your Pixel to get a proper solution.

How did this work for you?

Conclusion

Despite the Google Pixel’s problems, it’s still a great phone that’s an easy purchase if you have the option and opportunity. Every common issue that the phone has is easy to fix, even if some of the fixes take time. If your Google Pixel has had any of these problems, hopefully, your phone is now performing exactly as it’s intended.

If you have any problems that aren’t mentioned here, or just need Pixel help in general, please leave a comment below, and we’ll help you as best as we can.

About Strider

Crossing worlds, choosing words, sailing the seas or even using an Android device to communicate with extraterrestrial life are all possible items on Strider’s agenda. Writer, roamer, adventurer: it’s hard to put a label on this guy.

Reader Interactions

Comments (3)

There are several things that could be causing this. If you’re putting the phone in your pocket or a bag with the screen still on, you could be accidentally toggling the settings. It could also be the result of a battery or performance app changing your settings. Without more information it’s impossible to say for sure what the cause is. A factory reset should be able to solve the problem if it’s the result of something software related.

Hello Alexander DiTucci, check if you have any battery or phone performance app installed on your smartphone. Sometime these apps will automatically turn on airplane mode in order to save your battery.